English 12 “Inspirations/Aspirations”
Resource Bank
TED Talks - Video Suggestions:
“How I harnessed the wind” by William Kamkwamba. At age 14, in poverty and famine, a Malawian boy built a windmill, from scrap parts and from rough plans that he studied from a library book, to power his family's home. Now at 22, William Kamkwamba shares in his own words the moving tale of invention that changed his life. It’s a testament to the power of faith in self and of perseverance. (6 mins)
“Start with why” by Simon Sinek. Simon Sinek discusses the principal behind every successful person and business. A simple but powerful model for how leaders inspire action, starting with a golden circle and the question "Why?" He uses the success of Apple to clarify this model, and he challenges that the “why” should not be your profit, rather your purpose, your belief, the reason you get out of bed in the morning. (18 mins)
“What makes you come alive?” by Sean Aiken. Sean Aiken trekked more than 46,000 miles, slept on 55 couches, raised over $20,000 for charity, and tried every job he could: bungee instructor, advertising executive, stock trader, baker, NHL mascot, and more. He frequently speaks about what he learned from his One Week Job experience which led him to develop an international program to empower others to discover their passion. More importantly, he tries to inspire us to foster a meaningful relationship between us and our career. (8 mins)
“5 ways to kill your dreams” by Bel Pesce. All of us want to invent that game-changing product, launch that successful company, write that best-selling book. And yet so few of us actually do it. Brazilian entrepreneur Bel Pesce breaks down five easy-to-believe myths that ensure your dream projects will never come to fruition. She cautions that mediocrity is not OK--there is no room for complacency. Your dreams are your responsibility. (6 mins)
“Why you will fail to have a great career” by Larry Smith. A professor of economics at the University of Waterloo in Canada, Larry Smith coaches his students to find the careers that they will truly love. In this funny and blunt talk, Larry pulls no punches punches when he calls out the absurd excuses people invent when they make excuses and fail to pursue their passions. (15 mins)
“The power of passion” by Richard St John. For love or money? Based on hundreds of interviews and his personal experience, St John suggests that passion, not money, is one of the key drivers of success. To have passion and love for a career, is the motivating factor in being successful and stress free. “It’s amazing what you could do, if you love what you do.” (7 mins)
“Let’s raise kids to be entrepreneurs” by Cameron Herold. An entrepreneur since childhood, Herold wants parents and teachers to recognize - and foster - entrepreneurial talent in kids. Bored in school, failing classes, at odds with peers: This child might be an entrepreneur. In his talk, Herold makes the case for parenting and education that helps would-be entrepreneurs flourish, as kids and as adults. “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.” (20 mins)
“How to find work you love” by Scott Dinsmore. Scott Dinsmore quit a job at a Fortune 500 company that made him miserable, and spent the next four years wondering how to find work that was joyful and meaningful. He founded Live Your Legend, a career and connection platform to inspire others to find their passion. He shares what he learned in this deceptively simple talk about finding out what matters to you — and then getting started doing it. (18 mins)
“Love is the key” by Caitlin Crosby. Caitlin, who grew up in the entertainment business in Hollywood, started a 'Pay It Forward' jewelry business called "The Giving Keys." They engrave inspiring words on used keys. Once someone wears it, they must give it away at some point to a person they think needs the message on the key and then go to the website www.thegivingkeys.com to blog the story about why they gave it away. The Giving Keys has now employed ten people who were trying to transition out of homelessness and five of them have now moved into apartments from this movement. Her message is to keep your eyes open to all of the needs you see around you. Your passion can derive from genuine love and compassion that you feel for others. (12 mins)
“My year of saying yes to everything” by Shonda Rhimes. Shonda Rhimes, the titan behind Grey's Anatomy, Scandal and How to Get Away With Murder, is responsible for some 70 hours of television per season, and she loves to work. "When I am hard at work, when I am deep in it, there is no other feeling," she says. She has a name for this feeling: The hum. The hum is a drug, the hum is music, the hum is God's whisper in her ear. But what happens when it stops? Is she anything besides the hum? Rhimes discusses the power of having the “dream job” but cautions that having a dream job does not mean dreaming all day--it entails really hard work. She encourages us to never stop playing, because it’s where we find our joy and our purpose. (18 mins)
“How to make hard choices” by Ruth Chang. Here's a talk that could literally change your life. Which career should I pursue? Should I break up — or get married?! Where should I live? Big decisions like these can be agonizingly difficult. But that's because we think about them the wrong way, says philosopher Ruth Chang. She offers a powerful new framework for shaping who we truly are. (14 mins)
Suggested Book Titles:
The Geography of Genius: A search for the world’s most creative spaces from Ancient Athens to Silicon Valley by Eric Weiner
I am Malala: The girl who stood up for education and was shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai and Christina Lamb
Rising Strong by Brene Brown
The Boy who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope by William Kamkwambe
Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell
The Art of Happiness by Dalai Lama
Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg
Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth
When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
United: Thoughts on Finding Common Ground and Advancing the Common Good by Cory Booker
The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun by Gretchen Rubin
Finding Your Element: How to Discover Your Talents and Passions and Transform Your Life by Ken Robinson
The Art of Non-Conformity: Set Your Own Rules, Live the Life You Want, and Change the World by Chris Guillebeau
The Talent Code: Greatness Isn’t Born. It’s Grown. Here’s How by Daniel Coyle
Bounce: Mozart, Federer, Picasso, Beckham, and the Science of Success by Matthew Syed
The Secret by Rhonda Byrne
Suggested further reading/research:
“Why ‘Follow your passion’ is bad advice” by Cal Newport 2012 CNN
Steve Jobs 2005 Stanford University Commencement Speech “You’ve got to find what you love.”
“How to find your niche and profit from your passion” by Courtney McDermott Huffington Post 2015
“You don’t want a caste system for creativity” by Ken Robinson Campaign Magazine August 2015
“Fight ‘The Power’” by Christopher Chabrist and Daniel Simons NY Times 2010
“The Secret of Effective Motivation” by Amy Wrzesniewski and Barry Schwartz NY Times July 2014
“Rethinking Work” by Barry Schwartz NY Times August 2015
